The Phoenix
by ScratchDevious
Summary: Sesshomaru and company are joined by a strange girl with many secrets. She becomes Rin's caretaker, but will soon become much more...and when demons, Naraku, and an army, not to mention Inuyasha, get in their way, things get a lot more complicated...
1. Chapter 1

Ok, this is my new story! Right now I am concentrating more on my other story, "Dreams of Memories", but I will make a few updates on this one until DoM is finished.

I wrote this story quite a long time ago, and I've recently lost the binder that it was in…I've been searching like mad, but no luck so far. In binder form, this story was close to a few hundred pages…which is INSANE. But yes, I will be posting it all here, but I really need to find that binder, because I am scared I will forget something that will be important in later chapters, and that would suck.

On with the show!!!

Does anyone have any ideas about Aimi's name? Aimi doesn't seem to fit her, and if someone leaves a kick-ass name (with its meaning) in their review, I might use it for the rest of the story….

-Amy-loco

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha…sadness…

**

* * *

****The Phoenix:**** Chapter One **

The young woman ran through the forest, blindly tripping over roots and bushes. She just had to get away…

She skidded through some wet leaves, stumbling onto a muddy road. She hurried down it, feeling the lump in her throat burst, and tears leak from her eyes. She was trying desperately to swallow her tears when she ran straight into a very solid person. That was it, she was suddenly sobbing uncontrollably, not bothering with the mud being absorbed into her silk kimono.

"You stupid girl!!" A grating voice shrieked from her right. "Do you have any idea who this IS?" She looked over; a little green man was glaring at her, and pointing at her with his staff. "Bow to the Lord of the Western Lands!!!"

She looked up, and saw a rather looming figure above her. She rose slowly, tears blurring her vision, but even so she could tell he was richly dressed in armor. His hair was a clean white, and his eyes a golden amber. His face was perfectly emotionless as he stared at her, his gaze burning coldly, his features fine, but edged sharply.

The young woman turned back to the toad. "I bow to no one! I don't care who he is! I just…I don't…." Her tears clogged my throat, and she fell back against a tree in exhaustion.

She heard a low, clear voice say, "She is disrespectful Jaken. She is emotional and weak." Then he turned to leave.

The girls sobs ceased and she began to shake. Sessho-maru thought for a moment, amused, that she might have been dying, but she suddenly jumped to her feet and shouted at him.

"Y-You bastard!" She sputtered, he face full of hate. "Do you have any idea? ANY IDEA AT ALL, YOU FILTHY…y-you ASSUMING…"

She slid to the ground. Sessho-maru did not look back, but continued forward.

She saw the toad raise his staff, and the mouth of one of the heads mounted upon it began to open ominously.

What would happen? She thought. Would she die? Without them, she was dead anyway…

She felt a small hand tug on her kimono. It was a little girl with dark hair…

"Keiko…?" The young woman mumbled.

The small girl grinned toothily, and she knew it wasn't her.

"This one is Rin." She said.

The older girl smiled gently at her. "I'm…I'm Aimi."

"Why are you sad?"

"…it's all right Rin." Aimi said. "I'll be fine."

"Rin." The powerful man said.

She stood and ran over.

"Come. We must go ahead. Jaken will stay for a short while." He turned, but Rin hesitated.

"Master, may I have her as my caretaker?"

He didn't stop walking. "Rin."

She looked back at Aimi. She smiled reassuringly, and the girl followed her Lord. Aimi waved as Rin went around a bend in the road before turning to face the toad, and the dead toothless smile of the head on the stick.

Seeing Rin…that's what Aimi had survived for. That was why she had been saved, so that Aimi could live and watch Keiko. But Keiko was gone now…and Rin was there. And there had been something in her eyes…she needed Aimi. Like Keiko had.

The toad yelled a command word, and from the old man's mouth roared a blast of flames. Aimi quickly twisted away, ducking into the bushes. How easy. The toad laughed to himself as he examined the charred ground where the young woman had just been, assuming she'd been incinerated. As soon as he turned to go, Aimi slunk out of the brush and kicked him soundly in the head, rendering him unconscious.

Aimi hurried off down the trail, and soon caught up to the man and the girl. The man ignored her, he knew she'd survived the whole time; his nose was almost as keen as her own.

Rin understood her master's silence, and took Aimi's sleeve happily, beginning to skip.

They walked for hours, and Aimi noticed Rin's skips become less energetic, then she began to walk, and then to shuffle along.

Aimi spoke up. "Sessho-maru, Rin is tired. I think we should stop and give her time to rest."

Sessho-maru, who was walking ahead, did not turn. "The girl can keep walking for another mile. There is a clearing that will be suitable. This terrain is not safe."

She bit her lip, swallowing her protests, and helped Rin along as best she could. Only a few more minutes passed before Jaken finally caught up. He was grumbling and had a large bump protruding from his head. He glared at the two girls, passing them quickly to catch up with his precious Lord Sessho-maru.

Aimi could hear his complaining sharply, even though Jaken kept his voice low, at a decibel he thought only Sessho-maru could hear. Apparently his constant whining annoyed Sessho-maru as much as it did her, and Jaken was soon smoothly kicked into the underbrush by the side of the road.

Rin giggled wearily, and Aimi couldn't help but crack a smile as they passed the fallen toad demon.

It took them another half-hour to finally reach the clearing. It was about a quarter of a mile off the road, so there was no danger of travelers on the road coming upon them in their sleep.

The clearing was a sloping meadow, filled with hundreds purple flowers, and a small stream running through one edge. Rin must have found some hidden energy inside her, because she dragged Aimi by her hand to the very center of the flowers, and sat. Sessho-maru followed at a more dignified pace, and sat gracefully a short distance away.

At first Rin was just happy to just sit, smelling the sweet scent of the small pale blooms; but as Sessho-maru watched, Aimi showed the little girl how to weave them together by their long bendy stems. Rin soon had on a crown and necklace, and was working on another tiara. Sessho-maru watched the two girls laughing in the sunlight, in all the flowers, and couldn't help noticing how pretty Aimi looked in her own crown of flowers. Their pale purple color looked so beautiful against her dark hair, and the sun made her skin glow with a golden light…

He blinked and stopped thinking those types of thoughts. She was a simple human woman, and he was a Lord. She mattered not. He would kill her if it suited him. That thought satisfied him, and he relaxed a bit more, still scanning the clearing with his senses periodically, to check for hidden dangers.

He closed his eyes in meditation, still keeping his senses alert, and it was not long before he heard someone approaching. It was the young woman, he could smell it. He opened his eyes to see her standing before him, her hands behind her back, Rin beside her, grinning like the Cheshire cat.

The woman bent down to Sessho-maru, and before he realized what she was doing, he had on his own crown of flowers. Rin clapped her hands and laughed, so Sessho-maru did not immediately remove it. But then the woman began to laugh as well.

He stood slowly, and took off the crown with one clawed finger. He approached the human woman, and watched as her laughter faded, and apprehension appeared in her eyes. He noted that she was not frightened, she seemed like she was more curious to see what he would do. He gently placed the second crown onto her own head.

She looked up at him inquisitively, but then a terrified shriek ripped through the clearing.

The woman turned as Sessho-maru shot past her.

There was a gigantic brown and gray snake demon, slithering out of the stream .Aimi's thoughts immediately turned to Rin, but she was fine, only a few feet away. Her scream had been a warning, and already Sessho-maru had begun to rip away at the demon.

Aimi ran to Rin, and pulled her to the edge out of the clearing, Sessho-maru obviously had things under control, and she did not want them to get in the way.

The two girls, watching Sessho-maru hack at the thick hide of the snake-demon, did not notice the second snake, approaching behind them. At the last second before its strike, Aimi sensed it, and pulled Rin to one side. It's gigantic un-hinged mouth bit into the ground, and Aimi scrambled away, dragging Rin behind her.

It writhed after them, spitting out hunks of dirt, and lunged again. Rin let out a small screech of fear, as Aimi once again pulled Rin out of the way just in time. Sessho-maru quickly slashed once more at the first demon, severing its neck, before coming to their aide.

The snake demon charged again, but this time it stopped in midair, falling back to earth. Sessho-maru had cut off the end of its tail. It thrashed in pain, spraying blood that somehow missed Sessho-maru completely, turning to face the source of its agony.

The Lord looked at it once in its yellow eyes; his own filled with contempt, before he jumped above it, stabbing it through the head, pinning it to the earth, and killing it instantly.

He stood for a moment, listening to make sure it was dead. Once he confirmed this, he turned to his charge and her caretaker. They were both breathing hard.

Aimi met his eyes, then slowly approached the carcass of the snake demon. Sessho-maru looked as she removed one of her crowns to place on top of its body. She prayed, and soon a light engulfed the clearing. When the blinding light faded, there was a large rock where the snake had been, with flowers carved into its surface.

"You are a miko." Sessho-maru said. How could he not have sensed it?

"No, I am a quarter miko." Aimi replied, moving to the next demon.

"I did not smell it." He said.

"It is the same as with the snake demons. All these flowers must overpower your nose." She stood back form the ornamented snake's body.

"These flowers did not mask the snakes scent. They came from the water, that is why I could not sense them." He said, voice turning silky, warning her that she was close to crossing some sort of line.

The light flooded throughout the clearing once more. Once the flash was gone and another boulder in place, she turned to face him. "I did mask my powers from you, but only because demons do not view mikos very highly."

"No. I do not." He said, and did not look at her again. "We must leave now."

He turned and began to walk away. "Rin."

She ran up, taking Aimi's hand, and they began through the trees and the warm sunlight, towards the road.

* * *

Review lovers...pwease? 


	2. Chapter 2

Readers,

Well hello again, here is chapter two of my more recent story...

My computer recently crashed, so DoM is gonna be a little while in updating...I had the chapter mostly typed, but not written anywhere. So I have to remember it all and retype it.

Anyways, enjoy this chapter, and the next one will by typed up by next week! Inuyashas finally gonna show up, and Sesshou-maru is going to get a bit angry at Miroku...but you have to wait till I post the next chap heehee.

Please REVIEW!

-Amy-loco

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters; Rumiko Takahashi does.

* * *

**The Phoenix: Chapter Two**

"Where are we going?" Aimi asked, leaving Rin to skip ahead, as she fell in step with Sesshou-maru's long stride.

"A village at the edge of this forest. There is a noble dispute." He answered calmly, and said no more, even though they walked for another few hours.

When the stars came out the group stopped in a clearing a little ways off the road. Jaken began a campfire with his staff and some wood he had collected. Sesshou-maru also sent him off to catch fish in a nearby stream, for the 'humans to consume', while the girl and Rin picked some berries near the stream.

Sesshou-maru refused food, but sat against a wide tree and began to meditate. Aimi settled Rin down on some softer grass, giving her a good-night kiss, unaware of Sessou-maru's eyes.

She awoke from her nightmare when the night was at its deepest black. It had happened again, in her dream. She sat for a moment, arms wrapped around her knees. She watched the fingers of her hand curl tight into a fist as she fought off tears.

She grimaced as she realized her cheeks were already stiff from dried tears…she must have been crying in her sleep. It occurred to her that Sesshou-maru might smell their salt and wake up, so she slipped as quietly as she could through the low vegetation of the forest, and then through the surrounding trees, until she reached the small stream she and Rin had picked berries at earlier.

She felt like crumpling to the ground, and breaking into sobs, but instead she held her chin up and sat carefully. She looked at herself in the calmer parts of the stream, where distorted images of her face could be seen reflected on its silvery surface.

'They are dead. They are all gone, and you will never see them again.' She told herself, trying to be strong, but as she watched her eyes filled with tears again.

Would they ever stop coming? Was there any way a person could use up all the extra water in their body, and then start shriveling up as a result of crying too much?

All these tears…because of him. Because of Naraku. How she hated him! At his name bolts of fury, like lightning, shot through her. She knew if she dwelled on it any longer the lightning bursts would build into she exploded. Into what, she didn't know. A sobbing heap or a burning ball of hate?

She noticed she was trembling, and took deep breaths, willing the tears back into her eyes. With her eyes closed, she calmed down, and soon realized that she felt a stare. Someone was watching her.

She turned directly to her right, and saw something white and silvery in between two trees. She looked and saw it was only Sesshou-maru, silently regarding her.

She knew her face was still haunted with traces of anger and fear and sorrow, and immediately regretted that he had caught sight of them.

She watched him stride forward, and pulled her up with his one arm. She felt his hand linger on her wrist, as if he were hesitating.

"You are supposed to be Rin's watcher." He said finally, voice emotionless as usual. "I expect you to not stray from her side."

She lifted her chin again, and said, "I have not put her in danger. You were with her."

He chose to ignore this and repeated, "Do not leave her side." Then he added, in the same monotone he said everything else in, so she almost missed he'd changed the subject, "Why are you crying?"

"You do not care to know." She said, sounding more arrogant than she felt, to annoy him slightly so he would forget the previous subject. She continued, "Would you like your arm back?"

He blinked. "I have already tried many useless temporary attachments. They never last. I do not want another one."

"No, I am not talking about a substitute. I can regenerate it."

"Then, yes." He answered simply.

"There is a catch." She added. "I am going to need a day to rest after this…I am not a full miko, so mixed with my demon powers I can do unusual things, but it still takes a lot out of me."

"It will not be a delay." Sesshou-maru said, while wondering what on earth she was talking about. 'demon powers'? She hadn't a trace of demonic aura.

"All right, we'll need somewhere comfortable." She went over to a grassy knoll off the bank of the stream. "Here looks good…will Jaken and Rin be all right by themselves?"

"Do not concern yourself." He said, twitching one of his elf-like ears.

"Then I won't." Aimi said sharply, then, "Sit down." Sesshou-maru growled lowly at her, warning her not to order him around, but sat anyway.

Aimi kneeled next to him, and started to roll his limp sleeve up, but soon realized it would block her access to his shoulder. Sesshou-maru wordlessly slid his shoulders and chest out of his clothes.

Aimi felt along his clavicle for a moment, and then his shoulder blade. He tensed as she did so, obviously uncomfortable. "You need to relax."

"I am." He said, giving her a cold look, but wondering internally why didn't he cringe at her touch…somehow she did not disgust him. This thought disgruntled him even further, and he resolutely ignored the feeling of her cool fingers running along his skin, and the urges to touch her when she did so.

She finally stopped, placed one hand on his shoulder, and the other on the stump of his arm. She closed her eyes. A golden light streamed like liquid from her fingers. The glow grew larger and larger, encompassing the whole clearing, and becoming eye-searingly bright. It filled her entire field of vision, until she could see nothing else.

Sesshou-maru felt her hands grow very hot, for he could see nothing through the blinding light, but after a moment she collapsed into his arms, and the light was suddenly gone.

Sesshou-maru sat for a moment, vaguely confused as to what to do? Should he just leave her there? He made a decision, and stood with her in his arms. He enjoyed the feeling of having to arms again…he felt strength returning that he hadn't noticed missing. Or maybe it was just the invigorating feel of the girl in his arms?

He let that thought linger, before snapping it back into the recesses of his mind, and walked back to camp. He took her to his usual tree, and suddenly exhausted from the healing, sat with her cradled in his arms.

* * *

Sesshou-maru woke to a child laughing. He was awake in an instant...he had fallen asleep. He felt strangely satisfied…he had not slept in a long time, and not so comfortably in far longer. 

He looked at Rin, who was standing in front of him, giggling.

Sesshou-maru looked down. Aimi was in his arms, just waking up. She felt warmth all around her, and smoothness against her cheek. She blinked her eyes open sleepily, to stare into pure golden eyes with her own half-lidded ones.

Aimi's eyes jerked open, and she quickly scrambled out of his arms, blushing brilliantly, as Sesshou-maru stood, shrugging into his clothes.

"How long was I out?" She asked Rin, avoiding Sesshou-maru's eyes until her color returned to normal. She expected Rin to say two or three days.

"Since what?" Rin asked, confused.

"Since I fixed Sesshou-maru's arm!" Aimi answered, becoming puzzled herself.

"You…" Rin looked over in surprise and began to skip around Sesshou-maru, who raised an eyebrow at her enthusiasm. "You got Lord Sesshou-maru's arm back! Rin is glad!"

"It was just last night that you grew my arm." Sesshou-maru responded for Rin, who was still skipping in circles and admiring his newly acquired limb. "And since you appear rested, we shall approach the village this afternoon. It is not far."

"…I'm not tired…" Aimi said aloud, surprised. "I'm usually tired after healing, especially after growing, which exhausts me. I sleep for days sometimes…"

Sesshou-maru eyed her. "I never sleep. I haven't in years. With you here…" He stopped talking abruptly, and turned away to wake Jaken so he could clean up.

Aimi frowned a little at his strange words, and would have dismissed them if she hadn't seen a flicker of emotion in his eyes.

* * *

Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease review? I have some cookies with your names on theeeeeeeem... 


	3. Chapter 3

To My Lovely Readers,

Thanks for the nice comments Readerfreak10, sesshu, and Amaterasu1969, I really loved your reviews! You all get cookies, no worries Amaya Mishugosha… and I don't know if Ookami Kiba is still reading, but I don't think I deserve a cookie for taking so long with the second chapter…but maybe for the third? I like my cookies heated so the chocolate chips are all melty, thanks…haha.

Anyways, here's the third chapter, and under a week too! If you like it, or not, review please!

The fourth chapter might even be typed up this week…we hear about why Aimi was crying the first time she ran into Sesshou-maru. Also they have a run in with one of Naraku's henchmen…and it doesn't turn out well…but you will have to wait and see...

-Amy-Loco

Disclaimer: Most of these character belong to Rumiko Takahashi...not me, otherwise my life would be soooo cool...

* * *

**The Phoenix: Chapter 3**

It was around midday that they reached the high ridge of a hill, and below them in a valley lay the youkai village. Sesshou-maru left Rin and Jaken on the hilltop and took Aimi with him. She let her demon scent free, masking her human scent instead. A youkai village was no place for any human.

Sesshou-maru found her scent odd…he didn't recognize exactly what type of demon she was. As they walked down the sloping hill to the cluster of houses below, he decided she smelled like the wind, with a bit of smoke on the breeze…

They walked directly to the town's center, were there was a courtyard around a well. There were two heavily breathing and bloody youkai facing each other and snarling viciously. They circled slowly within the ring the crowd made around them, keeping the well between them, both of their tails whipping stiffly behind them in anticipation.

The crowd parted silently for Sesshou-maru, but Aimi decided to wait at the back of the crowd. She watched as Sesshou-maru imperiously resolved their argument, with a few clipped words. She couldn't hear what he was saying, but by the end of his short reprimand, both youkai's tails were wilted against the ground.

As Sesshou-maru turned to leave; the panther youkai was left by the well, as the crowd followed the puma demon. It was easy to see which had won the dispute.

As soon as the crowd had dispersed, and the usual activities of the town had begun again, Sesshou-maru went to her. He quickly grabbed her waist and leaped into the air. They flew in leaping bounds, and it was only a few moments before they had landed next to Rin and the toad.

Aimi had just run over to Rin to give her a hug, when Sesshou-maru straightened suddenly, alert.

"What is it?" She asked him.

Sesshou-maru looked at her and said calmly, "Just my half-brother."

She frowned, with her arms still frozen around Rin, when a red blur shot across the clearing.

The blur skidded to a stop at the opposite end of the field, and she saw that it was a boy. He looked fairly young, closer to her age than Sesshou-maru's. He had snowy white hair, and golden eyes that were flashing brightly. He was rougher looking then Sesshou-maru, and a cocky grin lit his face as he hefted a giant sword over one shoulder,

Sesshou-maru strolled in front of Rin and Aimi, casually guarding us. "Inuyasha." He said, contempt clear in his tone.

"I know you hate humans Sesshou-maru, but this is low, even for you!" He yelled, and suddenly erupted into a sprint, blurring towards Sesshou-maru, chopping down with his blade. Sesshou-maru jumped out of range, and Aimi threw Rin out of the way, dodging the sweeping sword.

Sesshou-maru was split, he could only protect one of them, and there was the boy between them.

"Rin." Aimi urged, not bothering to raise her voice: he could hear her. Sesshou-maru didn't waste another moment; he leapt between the boy and Rin.

Inuyasha grabbed to Aimi's arm.

"Let go!" She said firmly, but before she could twist away he flung her at three strangers who had just emerged from the trees. A kind looking girl in odd green and white clothes caught one of her arms, and another more serious girl with a rather large boomerang caught her other. A young man in monk's robes caught Aimi's butt.

"Ahhh!" Aimi screeched, and kicked him.

"Miroku!!" The two girls cried in unison, and each slapped him.

The serious girl punched the top of his head to, for good measure. "Pervert." She muttered.

Sesshou-maru had heard Aimi's cry of surprise, and he received a shallow gash in his new arm for the moment of distraction.

"I see you have your arm back Sesshou-maru…but I can fix that!" Inuyasha crowed, and attacked more ferociously than ever.

"Sesshou-maru!" Aimi started towards him, worried.

"What are you doing?" One girl asked, both holding me back.

"He's hurt!" Aimi exclaimed, watching the blood soaking into his silk sleeve as he fought.

"You care?" The serious girl sounded shocked.

"Of course!" Aimi said, turning to them. "Why are you doing this?"

"Sesshou-maru…we followed your scent from a destroyed village…you were the only survivor. And you are with him, aren't you kidnapped?"

"No!!"

"Oh." The kind girl said. Then, "SIT!"

Aimi was confused until she heard a thump and muffled curses. The boy had slammed face-first into the ground.

Seizing the moment, she ran over to Sesshou-maru, and on impulse hugged him. She could feel his surprise, and then one had rest on her back. She pulled away quickly, and took his arm, looking closely. It was only a shallow wound.

Suddenly two clawed fingers tilted up her face, to meet Sesshou-maru's impassive golden eyes. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. That…monk felt me up though."

Sesshou-maru's eyes narrowed slightly, but her hand rested on his chest, which seemed to stop him from moving towards the strange people with harmful intent. They were all staring at the demon lord and Aimi, including Inuyasha, who had peeled his face out of the ground in order to do so.

Aimi blushed and began to move away, but Sesshou-maru placed a hand on her shoulder.

She finally got tired of their wide eyes, and asked, "What?!"

"But-but-but…" A small ginger haired fox demon that she hadn't noticed before stuttered at them. "Sesshou-maru's mean!!"

"Yes, he is." She said dryly, and Sesshou-maru's cold eyes slid down to give her a look. She smiled back and continued, "But not all the time."

The kind girl looked baffled, but she smiled at them anyway. Inuyasha said to her, confused, "But…Sesshou-maru hates humans..." She rolled her eyes at him, but it was Sesshou-maru who answered.

"Not all of them." If Aimi didn't have such good hearing, she would have missed the slightly warm tone in his voice. He looked down at her again, "We should be going."

Aimi called to Rin as Sesshou-maru pulled her into his arms bridal style, and set Rin in her lap. Clearly he was in a hurry to get back to his home. Inuyasha's mouth fell open at the sight of the Lord of the Western Lands carrying two humans.

"Bye! I'm sure we'll see each other again!" Aimi called to the five of them, as Sesshou-maru sprang into the air. Only the kind girl wasn't astonished enough to wave back.

* * *

Reviews? Yes please!!!! 


	4. Chapter 4

Toodle Pip Lovelies!

How's the nub and thrust of things? Double cool with knobs?

Sorry about the lack of updates, but I have been busy moving into my dorm...

I have decided to be a Brit for today's author's note, because I have just finished And Then He Ate My Boy Entrancers, which is a book full of hilariosity. I am actually an upstanding citizen from Hamburger-a-gogo land, but we shall pretend I live in the brilliant land of afternoon tea.

Right, well this is getting a bit confusing, and my sister is being bloody loud shouting at me to get off the computer. What a nazi.

So fanks to all you dear reviewers who are very kind like…two kind things. Ooer.

I lurve you all so very much! Cheerio!

-Amy-loco

Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not own any characters besides Aimi and Tomoko.

* * *

**The Phoenix: Chapter Four**

It only took the trio one day to get back to Sesshou-maru's estate with the Western Lord flying. His home turned out to be a very large stone castle in the middle of a forest, with a steep cliff looking out over his lands on the Western side of it.

They entered through a window into Rin's rooms. Sesshou-maru left immediately, to alert the staff that he had returned. Aimi put Rin to bed, and then decided to wander around the huge mansion, and explore a little.

At the end of the hallway Rin's rooms were off of were spiraling stone steps. Aimi followed it down to what she could tell was the ground floor by windows spaced every level in the staircase. She found an archway leading to a large grassy courtyard. There was a pond, and out of its center a fountain rose, trickling water down into the small body of water. A large tree by its bank had a deep shadow due to the bright full moon that was out.

Aimi felt very tired all of a sudden; the activities of the day, and keeping her past shoved firmly into the back of her mind, had exhausted her. She dropped down by the dark pool of water. She looked up at the stars…on that horrible night the sky had been clear…no clouds…Aimi remembered. And then the rest hit her all at once: the panic and despair, the horror and sorrow, and especially the fear.

Aimi began to cry, tears streaming down her face. She looked down from the stars, and sobbed into her hands.

Sesshou-maru stood in the stone archway, watching the girl. Who was she? She was a human and miko, but also demon. He watched her shoulders heave as she cried. He felt something stir inside him…something similar to compassion, and this time he did not ignore it. He would follow his instincts; he would do as he pleased. He went to her, silent as the moonlight.

Aimi stood, about to get control of herself and head inside, when she felt silk fabric brush her arm as arms sneaked around her waist. She couldn't smell who it was; her nose was stuffy from crying.

A nose nuzzled lightly against her cheek, and a long piece of white hair fell over her shoulder. Sesshou-maru.

"Why are you crying." Sesshou-maru asked, although his tone made it sound like a statement. He turned Aimi around, to face him.

She closed her eyes and looked at her feet, but he once again tilted her head up, to meet his eyes. A clawed finger pushed some of Aimi's dark hair out of her face.

Sesshou-maru tucked her hair behind her ear, tracing the outer edge and lobe with his claw. She didn't flinch, and he marveled at her beauty even though she was pink from crying. Her skin was flawless in the silvery light (besides the blush in her cheeks, and slight redness of her nose), and her eyes seemed darker than ever…darker then water in the small pond behind her…so deep, so endless.

"You will tell me…" He said.

Her eyes flashed once with her familiar anger at being ordered around, but immediately flared out when she saw that his eyes were strangely gentle. She gave him her reply with her eyes. He sat, pulling her once again into his lap. She took a shuddering breath to compose herself, and began her story.

"I grew up in a small town in the Southern Lands. I lived there in the Phoenix Clan, where our lives are in a constant state of transition…so no one was very close-minded there. Hanyous and demons, even some humans lived together, not like here.

"I had a large family...there was my father, mother, three sisters, seven brothers, two sets of grandparents, fifteen aunts, eight uncles, and too many cousins to keep track of. It was always crowded at our house…but we all were happy most of the time." Her voice choked a little, and Sesshou-maru instinctively tightened his arms. Her voice turned bitter and regretful. "Then Naraku came, with many demons. We were stronger, but there were so many. If he'd just killed them I could have saved them, but his demons ate them…even the children…still alive sometimes."

"My aunt was a very strong and prestigious demon, and she hid our scents, and managed to smuggle myself and one of my little sisters into the woods. But Naraku had been prepared and set demons into the woods to sniff out anyone trying to escape. It was only bad luck, really, that he found us. He was an owl demon, and he had amazing hearing and sight like two telescopes…My aunt, she screamed at me to save my sister, so I fought as hard as I could…she died protecting us, and my sister was so small, she couldn't fight for very long before they got her. I didn't notice my aunt or my sister was dead, until I killed the demon. And then I saw them lying there in pieces…" Aimi began to sob again, so hard she could barely breathe, and Sesshou-maru sat with her, silent, until she fell asleep.

* * *

When Aimi opened her eyes, it was light out, and she was on a bed in a beautiful room. The large canopy bed she was lying in had creamy-yellow silk sheets, and the curtains and canopy were a lovely deep green. There were four floor length paneled windows, with clear bright light coming through. The walls were also a warm off-white, but the ceiling and floor were white and intricately bordered.

She slid out of bed, looking at the room in closer detail, and admiring the painted woodwork on the furniture and bordering the windows. She washed up in a water basin on a stool in a corner, between a window and the largest wardrobe she'd ever seen. Feeling refreshed, Aimi found a red silk dress placed on a maple bench at the end of her bed. She slipped the smooth, cool material over her head.

She was looking at the view from her window when she heard a knock on the double wooden doors behind her. She opened one door, and standing there, looking solemn and polite, was a crane hanyou. The half-demon was clearly a servant.

"Lord Sesshou-maru requests your presence for breakfast." She said shyly and softly.

"Thank you." Aimi said, smiling. The girl's eyes flashed with surprise, and unease. Aimi suspected smiles were rare in a household run by Sesshou-maru.

"This way, if you please." She said. Aimi nodded, and they set off down a long hallway. "I will be serving you while you are here."

It took Aimi a moment to respond…'while you are here'…after last night she had hoped Sesshou-maru would warm up towards her. How long would he allow her to stay? What would he tell Rin if he made her leave? She didn't want to leave Rin…or Sesshou-maru, she surprised herself by thinking.

She had been under the impression this was a long-term job…and she would treat it like that. She wouldn't give up so easily! Rin needed her.

"What's your name?" Aimi asked the servant.

"I am called Tomoko, miss."

"Nice to meet you, and you can just call me Aimi." Aimi said, "I grew up in a poor village in the South, so there's no need to be so formal."

"…all right. I will try to remember." Tomoko said, after some thought. Aimi could hear the smile in her voice. "Here we are." She stopped at door, smaller compared with the ones Aimi had seen so far. A ten foot tall man could still walk through it comfortably, however.

Tomoko opened the door, and Aimi slipped through. "Thank you…I guess I'll see you later?"

Tomoko nodded once, and was gone, silently and quickly.

Aimi turned around; she had just stepped out onto a balcony. Trellises of morning glories lined the walls of the castle, and well as the wide stone railing.

"Oomph." Rin flung herself at Aimi, hugging her around the legs. Aimi laughed.

"Rin." Sesshou-maru's cool voice warned the little girl to behave. She guiltily let go of Aimi and stepped away.

Aimi knelt and hugged her properly. "Good morning."

"Morning. Rin is sorry."

Aimi laughed, the small girl was too cute; she hadn't even been upset. "Its fine, Rin." She stood, as she let Rin lead her to the breakfast table. "Good morning Sesshou-maru."

"Good morning." He replied. He had been looking out over his lands; the balcony faced the cliff side of the estate, but now he faced Aimi. She could read something in his eyes…something that almost seemed like confusion…

Aimi sent him a small frown as she sat at the table, and Rin poured her some juice, proudly not spilling a drop.

As soon as she and Rin had finished eating, Aimi asked, "Rin, I need to talk to Sesshou-maru for a minute alone. Could you excuse us?'

Rin thought for a moment, them nodded, and put her napkin down on the table politely. She jumped down from her seat, and slipped out.

Aimi went over to the balcony next to Sesshou-maru. "Is something wrong?" She asked. "Because you look a little conflicted."

Sesshou-maru's voice was normal: cold and stoic. "How did you know that I am confused about a matter?"

"Your eyes," She said, looking up at him, meeting his gaze. "Will you tell me what is wrong?"

"I do not know exactly." He said, and Aimi was surprised. Since when was Sesshou-maru not sure of something? "You are a hanyou, and a miko. But I find myself-" He stopped. Aimi realized that Sesshou-maru did not talk about himself often at all, and expressed his feelings even less. So she was silent, and waited for him to continue. "You are beautiful and strong." He said it so flatly; Aimi would have thought any other man would have been joking. "I suppose I do not know what to make of you. All I know is that I want you to-"

He stopped dead again, and Aimi realized he had been drawing closer, but she had been so captivated by what he was saying she hadn't noticed. But this time, he wasn't pausing.

He was completely alert; he was frozen, listening and smelling. Suddenly he said, "Go inside." She hesitated. "Now." He said, sharply.

Aimi went for the door but it flung open from a sudden gust of wind, banging into the castle wall. Purple and blue morning glories littered the ground. But there was no one behind the door, the hallway was empty.

She turned back to Sesshou-maru, confused, but there was suddenly a woman floating on a giant feather, just off the balcony.

Sesshou-maru stood cool and confident, even thought he could sense her intentions were not to propose an alliance, as they had been in previous encounters.

"What do you want, Kagura." He said, face blank. His body was all tensed up, ready to spring out at her.

"I am here for the girl." She said, flicking her fan open, and grinning cruelly, then hiding it with her fan.

Aimi could feel his anger radiating off of him…he backed up, to put his arm around her possessively. His eyes were tinting redder by the second. How dare the wind witch come to his home and make demons? How dare she try and take his property from him? How dare she even think about taking his mate from him?

That thought startled him. Mate? His mate? He returned his attention back to the problem at hand.

"Tell him if he even touches her, he will die." Sesshou-maru's voice was calm, but his grip was tight on Aimi.

"Suit yourself." Wind shot through a thin silver whistle on a band around Kagura's wrist.

Aimi couldn't hear anything, but Sesshou-maru's eyes widened in pain. He clawed at his ears, and she saw blood leaking out. His eyes were dazed…disoriented, and suddenly Kagura had a hold of her, and then they were gone.

Just like that.

All Aimi could see was the horror in her last glimpse of those golden eyes…

Then everything was dark.

* * *

Reeeeeeeeview...REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEIVIEW!!!

P.S. the whistle Kagura has is a dog whistle, get it? so only dogs can hear it... ha, I found that amusing just now, dunno why...

P.S.S. REEEEEEEVIEW!!!


End file.
